Health Care Reform For 2010

The Following is a brief summary of how the key provisions in these two bills will impact member companies and their employees.

H.R. 3590, commonly known as the Health Care Reform bill, was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010.

H.R. 4872, commonly referred to as the “reconciliation package,” included modifications to H.R. 3590 and was passed by both the House and Senate on March 25. On March 30, President Obama signed H.R. 4872 into law.

Merkley Amendment

The Merkley Amendment provision that reduced the employer mandate from 50 or fewer employee to 5 or fewer employees for the Construction Industry was removed from the health care bill, which means all employers in all industries that employ 50 or fewer employees will not be subject to the employer mandates included in the bill.

In exchange for supporting the bill, the unions reportedly have been guaranteed an up or down vote on the Merkley amendment at an unspecified later date. Approval of the Amendment would reduce the insurance mandade for Construction Companies to 5 or fewer employees. The Government Affairs Committee's of every Merit Shop Trade Organization will be looking out for that provision to surface and will work to defeat it. 

Effective 2010

Insurance Carrier Market Reforms

Eliminates pre-existing condition exclusions for children.

Bans lifetime and annual coverage limits as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Extends eligible dependent coverage to age 26.

Requires new private plans to fully cover preventive care services (no co-payments).

Small Business Tax Credit (First Phase)

Provides Tax Credit to small employers that purchase health insurance for their employees (25 or fewer full-time employees and annual average wages of $50,000 or less).

Members of Congress must register into a health care exchanges. The problem is health care exchanges dont exist yet. That means that Congress is already breaking their own law.....obviously they did not know what they were doing to themselves.....so how could they possibly have any idea what they did to us.